Livelihood

Supporting Harmony, Improving Nutrition and Environment for the Rohingya and Host Community (SHINE)

PROTTYASHI, in partnership with Helvetas, implemented a community-based resilience initiative in Ukhiya Upazila, Cox’s Bazar, aiming to enhance food security, reduce disaster vulnerability, and strengthen social cohesion between host communities and Rohingya refugees. The project focused on improving the capacity of targeted populations to protect their lives and assets from natural disasters through integrated interventions in disaster risk reduction (DRR), livelihoods, and nutrition.Key activities included the selection of beneficiaries for homestead vegetable gardening and cash-for-work (CFW) schemes. Meanwhile, the CFW component supported urgent income generation through DRR-focused tasks such as road construction, stair repair, side protection, and drain cleaning. Additionally, a youth group was formed in the camp with ten members (six females and four males) who received capacity-building training. These youth were engaged in conducting awareness campaigns through IPT shows and community meetings on critical topics such as early marriage, malnutrition, and the role of homestead gardening in improving health and diet.

As a result of these interventions, beneficiaries have strengthened their nutritional status, secured their living environments, and fostered stronger harmony between host and refugee communities. The project has contributed to building community resilience by integrating livelihood support with disaster preparedness and social inclusion. The project aimed to enhance food security, reduce vulnerability to disasters, and build social cohesion between host and refugee communities to strengthen their resilience. Targeted populations have increased capacity to protect their lives and property from disasters. Beneficiaries were engaged in homestead vegetable gardening and cash-for-work activities. Agricultural inputs were procured and distributed, and demonstration vegetable plots were established to share knowledge and raise awareness within the community. Various cash-for-work activities—including road construction, stair repairs, side protection, and drain cleaning—are ongoing to support disaster risk reduction.

Major Achievements

18,667

Reached a total of 18,667 beneficiaries (5,926 male and 12,741 female), with 68% women participation, across host communities (Haldiya Palong, Rajapalong, Palongkhali) and camps (03, 04, 05, 8W, 17).

3

Established 3 collection centers to support local value chains and post-harvest management.

20

Set up 20 demonstration plots to promote practical learning in climate-resilient agriculture.

9

Formed 9 youth groups to lead awareness and mobilization initiatives within communities.

Supported beneficiaries through diverse activities including homestead gardening (HG), cash-for-work (CFW), income-generating activities (IGA), nursery development, bamboo product creation, and youth engagement.

Major Activities

Agricultural Support +

Provided agricultural inputs and training for homestead vegetable gardening to improve household nutrition in both host and Rohingya communities.

Demonstration Plots +

Established demonstration plots to promote knowledge sharing and awareness on nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Nutrition-Sensitive Crop Cultivation +

Vegetables such as red amaranth, spinach, kalmi shak, Bombay chili, papaya, bottle gourd, and brinjal were cultivated to promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Cash-for-Work Initiatives +

Implemented cash-for-work activities such as road building, stair repair, and drain cleaning to enhance disaster preparedness while supporting vulnerable families with daily income.

Youth Group Mobilization +

Formed and trained a youth group to lead awareness campaigns on early marriage, malnutrition, and homestead gardening.

Community Awareness Activities +

Conducted IPT shows and community meetings to promote positive behavior change in health, nutrition, and social cohesion.

DRR Integration +

Integrated disaster risk reduction into livelihood activities to help communities secure their lives and property from future hazards.

Project Objective

To increase the resilience of the host communities and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar by improving food security, reducing disaster vulnerability, increasing social cohesion.